Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Gas Prices

Gas prices in Chicago and the metro area hit a record high Monday, according to AAA, with the average price of regular unleaded gasoline at $4.67 in the city and $4.51 in the suburbs. Those prices compare to $3.95 one year ago in Chicago and $3.77 at the same time last year in the Chicago metro area.

Beth Mosher, a spokeswoman for AAA, said the spike can be attributed to a seasonal change over to a summer blend of gasoline.

And Obama dithering on Iran. And Obama canceling the Keystone pipeline. And the Obama administration refusing drilling permits for the Gulf and coastal United States while China sets up deep water rigs near Cuba and American companies take their rigs elsewhere. And Obama demonizing coal, leading to a greater dependence on hostile regimes for oil supplies.

61 Comments:

And the oil industry turned a profit of $137 billion in 2011. That's right, a $137 billion profit, and we are paying almost $5 a gallon for gas. WTF is going on in this country? If Obama gets re-elected in November this country is doomed.

Even if an American company drills new wells here that doesn't mean the oil produced from those wells will stay in the USA and/or be sold to us at a better price.

Once Washington hands out those oil leases to the oil companies the oil companies do what they want with the oil.

The oil will be sold on the international market at whatever the going rates are.

Washington talks a big game about "free trade" and the danger of standing in the way of it.

Nevertheless the OPEC oil cartels manipulate the oil to suit their needs. We pump a million more barrels a day and OPEC can just cut back by the same amount and our oil will be shipped to the billions of people in China and India to replace the OPEC oil and that's that.

With regards to the Keystone pipeline there was even a bill in congress that said let's ban any oil exports from the Keystone pipeline and use the oil here. Congress though a hissy fit as the oil companies put their boots on the necks of their lobbyist.

SCC: As someone who is deeply-involved in the energy field, and has been for decades, I'd like to clear a few things up. #1: The US holds 2% of the global oil reserves. Drilling for oil will not solve our energy problems. You could drill in the Arctic, ANWAR, the Gulf, East & West coastal waters, the Great Lakes, the Rockies, Tar Sands of Canada, and every American's backyard. Even if you increase domestic oil production by 50%, you'd only increase global supply by a mere 1%. And to keep prices elevated, OPEC would reduce their supply even further.

#2: China is not a problem. They will eventually have a massive breakdown due to environmental disasters (water shortages, incredibly polluted air from their coal power plants, etc), and millions will be killed as a result.

#3: Iran is not a problem either. Rattling the saber and calling for military strikes and/or action will only make their citizens rally 'round the mullahs. They are not building a bomb, they have no delivery device for it, and they are 2-3 years away from even testing one. And IMO, Obama isn't "dithering," he is looking for reasons NOT to go to war.

#4: Anyone with a brain in their head, and an IQ above 75, would hate coal and all that it stands for. Wind, geothermal, photovoltaic solar, biomass, wave energy and biofuels are the future. Coal is insanely dirty, and the negative externalities placed on society are absolutely not worth the cost. I'll ask you: do you want to live next door to a coal power plant? Would you like your kids to go to school and play next to a coal plant?

And for a more broader political point, I'll assume you're not the biggest Obama fan, and for the record: neither am I. And neither Romney, or Santorum, or Paul or Gingrich or Bush or Trump or anyone else can bring back cheap electricity, cheap gas or cheap energy in general. (NO, I'm not implying that you think they could either). But to be intellectually fair, cheap energy is gone forever, no matter who is in office, or how much we drill. Best advice for the future: downsize your home, buy a fuel efficient car, grow a garden, recycle, and consumer a little less. That's not liberal or conservative or communist or socialist, it's just common sense.

This is by design.The obama regime is creating false shortages to drive the price up to force conservation.Just wait till you see your electric bill in a couple of years after the two chicago coal power plants are shut down.If this policy continues we all need to buy bicycles and build porches for sleeping in the summer.

add insult to injury, the obama administration gave 5 billion to a co. in brazil to drill for oil. one of the major owners, his pal george soros. this president, like his energy czar want 7.00 a gallon gasoline.

But Rahm says please don't leave chicago. Except for those city workers who I will fuck by holding them captive and force them to live in the high cost city and then threaten to lower their pay and other benefits. I own you little minions. why would anyone want to live in chicago. wait unless you are an illegal then for sure, you get better benefits. Kraft figured it out and said no thanks to the little man.

SCC: As someone who is deeply-involved in the energy field, and has been for decades, I'd like to clear a few things up. #1: The US holds 2% of the global oil reserves. Drilling for oil will not solve our energy problems. You could drill in the Arctic, ANWAR, the Gulf, East & West coastal waters, the Great Lakes, the Rockies, Tar Sands of Canada, and every American's backyard. Even if you increase domestic oil production by 50%, you'd only increase global supply by a mere 1%. And to keep prices elevated, OPEC would reduce their supply even further.

Why is gas $3.47 in Wyoming? If you drill here in America it will create millions of jobs. It has a trickle down effect. If the economy is strong and people are working and making money then $5.00 a gallon is not so bad. Wake up buddy Iran is much closer then you think and their people will rally around the mullahs anyway.

looks like another staycation this summer--- the bread rolls have been shrinking at the bakery and the potato chip bags look a lot smaller--- hopefully this will mean that obama will be gone in november--- he pissed off all the catholics already and hopefully this gas situation will piss people off enough to get rid of him....

O'Bongo Adm. wants you to put air in your tires and buy a $40,000 eco-hybrid bailout car, the Man telling YOU what YOU have to do. Six years ago it was Geo. W. Bush's fault for $2.00 gal. gas. Now Dems havent a word to say about it. Soon we'll be waiting in line for day old bread.

Wind energy and bio-fuels are the future? Environmentalism is a great idea as long as you live in the USA. Ever fly into Eastern Europe? No clean air there. How about pollution in South America? Africa? China? Wind energy in the USA sounds good until you look and the financial mishandling of Solindra. Who would have thought the the Chinese could build solar panels cheaper. What a brilliant business plan Solindra had. You have to wonder why the government that spent millions chasing after Scooter Libby and Bill CLinton is reluctant to investigate fraud when it is happens in the Obama Administration.

Anyone else at least hold the suspicion that, prior to the 2012 election, The phony in the White House will reverse his stand obstructing domestic oil and gas production to appear as the hero who lowered gas prices. I maintain that the 2012 election will hinge on gasoline prices at the pump. The economy, jobs, housing prices, foreign wars, et cetera will all be secondary. Watching those numbers tick higher and higher as Americans fill there gas tanks will hit home with a gravity which those other factors can't approach.

I remember in 2006 or so, when the gas price was around 2.50, the Democrats were screaming that George Bush's gas policies would ruin the country and he was a villain for it. Then there is this..."Obama High prices are good"

Amazingly enough I just came back from wisc,on the Ill side of the border gas was at 3.88 a gallon. Kind of makes you wonder why its 80cents more a gal here in the city. Not the state or federal taxes. Hmmmm what does that leave as the cause?

"Best advice for the future: downsize your home, buy a fuel efficient car, grow a garden, recycle, and consumer a little less. That's not liberal or conservative or communist or socialist, it's just common sense."

--3/27/2012 02:24:00 AM

...devoid of a single word about the disastrous Third World population explosion and mass-immigration assault on the West that renders this bumper-sticker "environmentalism," this fussing about with tiny compost heaps, utterly meaningless.

You can frac until gas starts coming out your faucets, and any energy you produce by that or any other means will be soaked up, burned off, and pissed away by the out-of-control immigration flood -- by 2050, population here will increase by 150 million.

SCC: As someone who is deeply-involved in the energy field, and has been for decades, I'd like to clear a few things up. #1: The US holds 2% of the global oil reserves. Drilling for oil will not solve our energy problems. You could drill in the Arctic, ANWAR, the Gulf, East & West coastal waters, the Great Lakes, the Rockies, Tar Sands of Canada, and every American's backyard. Even if you increase domestic oil production by 50%, you'd only increase global supply by a mere 1%. And to keep prices elevated, OPEC would reduce their supply even further.

#2: China is not a problem. They will eventually have a massive breakdown due to environmental disasters (water shortages, incredibly polluted air from their coal power plants, etc), and millions will be killed as a result.

#3: Iran is not a problem either. Rattling the saber and calling for military strikes and/or action will only make their citizens rally 'round the mullahs. They are not building a bomb, they have no delivery device for it, and they are 2-3 years away from even testing one. And IMO, Obama isn't "dithering," he is looking for reasons NOT to go to war.

#4: Anyone with a brain in their head, and an IQ above 75, would hate coal and all that it stands for. Wind, geothermal, photovoltaic solar, biomass, wave energy and biofuels are the future. Coal is insanely dirty, and the negative externalities placed on society are absolutely not worth the cost. I'll ask you: do you want to live next door to a coal power plant? Would you like your kids to go to school and play next to a coal plant?

And for a more broader political point, I'll assume you're not the biggest Obama fan, and for the record: neither am I. And neither Romney, or Santorum, or Paul or Gingrich or Bush or Trump or anyone else can bring back cheap electricity, cheap gas or cheap energy in general. (NO, I'm not implying that you think they could either). But to be intellectually fair, cheap energy is gone forever, no matter who is in office, or how much we drill. Best advice for the future: downsize your home, buy a fuel efficient car, grow a garden, recycle, and consumer a little less. That's not liberal or conservative or communist or socialist, it's just common sense.

3/27/2012 02:24:00 AM Shut up you environmentalist libtard! Everyone wants to save something. You don't give a shit about the planet, you just don't want to be personally inconvenienced. All this green stuff is bullshit. The planet has been here 400 billion years and gone through much worse things than us and now we're a threat? We've been involved in heavy industry for a little over 200 years. Do the math, 400 billion vs. 200 yrs and you think that we're a threat to this little blue, green ball that's just floating around the sun. This planet has gone through earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, continental drifts, bombarded by meteors, solar flairs, sunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, world wild fires and some how you think that we're a threat. The earth will cleans itself and heal itself and start all over again and we'll be long gone, so pack your shit folks we're going away.

A half-dozen to 10 passengers jumped atop the pilot and pinned him to the floor, passengers said. Flight 191 landed at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport at 10:11 a.m., JetBlue said in a statement. The aircraft was carrying people bound from New York to Las Vegas, Nev., for a security convention, passengers said. The pilot went to a restroom, then emerged, “shouting, ‘Iraq, al-Qaida, terrorism, we’re all going down.’

It seemed like he went crazy,” said Gabriel Schonzeit, of New York City, who was seated in the third row and traveling to the security convention. JetBlue and Transportation Security Administration officials described the pilot as having a medical condition.

He was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital, officials said. He has not been identified. The crew kicked the pilot out of the cockpit, and he turned unruly, attempting to use the intercom system, which had been disabled, said Josh Redick, 41, of New York. The pilot later attempted to re-enter the cockpit, but his security code appeared to have been changed, Schonzeit said.

When the pilot began pounding on the cockpit door, a former prison security guard grabbed him by the neck and choked the captain until he collapsed, Schonzeit said. “We all knew in the front rows if he got back in the cockpit, we were going down,” Schonzeit said.

“The pilot was a very large man, bigger than me,” said Schonzeit, who stands 6 feet, 3 inches and weighs 250 pounds. A flight attendant was elbowed in the ribs during the struggle to keep the captain subdued, Schonzeit said. The passengers tried to bind the captain’s wrists behind his back with a zip tie, but he broke it, Schonzeit said. “I couldn’t have broken those,” Schonzeit said.

Passengers handed over their belts to bind the pilot’s arms, Schonzeit said. Another Captain, traveling off duty on Flight 191, entered the flight deck prior to landing at Amarillo, and took over the duties of the ill crewmember once on the ground,” JetBlue’s statement said. The Airbus A320 jet departed at 7:28 a.m. from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport Airport, JetBlue said.

2:24am, I think you got your facts abit skewed, and your opinions even further skewed. The U.S. may or may not only have 2% of the world's oil DISCOVERED. That is why exploration would be important. If China faces environmental problems like you predict, then how do you think they will pay for it? They will call in their debts, and guess who owes them a shitload of money, we do. You are right, Iran does not have a delivery system for a nuclear bomb, yet. That is not the primary concern of them going nuclear, it would be the nuclear material falling in the hands of Hezbollah or Hamas, the terroist orginzations or perhaps you think they are community grass roots clubs, and being used in a terrorist attack. Lastly, why don't you form your own website, www.arrogantcondescending leftleaningindependentknow-it- all.org and then we can crash your site.

US motorists pumped 60.515 million barrels of #gasoline last week, or 7.0% less than the comparable week a year ago: MasterCard Advisors

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Well there goes all that parking meter revenue as people curtail their driving to survive.

Meanwhile, downstate is about to pass yet another law to implement new fees to use an Illinois State park...one of the last affordable refuges for entertainment when you're one of the working poor.

Many will not be even able to drive there soon.

The 66% increase in personal State income tax wasn't enough. Nor were the increase in license plates fees, city stickers fees, dog licenses fees, sales tax, AND the hidden real estate tax increase.

The median Chicago home price fell 7% over the last year or roughly $10,000 dollars in price. I call it a hidden real estate tax because everyone is paying based upon the old values before the market crashed.

The bad news is that the college kids will not be in the market for a new home since they are already burdened with a six-figure student loan debt that's gonna take them 30~40 years to pay off if ever.

Ha..and Rahm is offering a $25,000 signing bonus for new principals.

Half that money will be wiped out in Chicago real estate losses if they buy a home here as the market continues to decline. The other half eaten away by the highest sales tax in the nation...their pet licenses, vehicle licenses, new and higher energy and sewer bills, outrageous parking expenses...need I go on?

#3: Iran is not a problem either. Rattling the saber and calling for military strikes and/or action will only make their citizens rally 'round the mullahs. They are not building a bomb, they have no delivery device for it

================

You mean besides an airplane? Almost a quarter of the US nuclear inventory is deliverable from B-52's and carrier launched fighter/bombers. Iran doesn't have any leftover Soviet junk? And they aren't sharing technology with the NorKs and Pakis? Does the word SCUD ring a bell? Moron.

"Half that money will be wiped out in Chicago real estate losses if they buy a home here as the market continues to decline."

--3/27/2012 03:40:00 PM

Still watching Zitella's descending condo spiral. Yesterday, I went by "Clock Tower Pointe," massive unsold condos on Lawrence west of Harlem.

Huge billboard out front, "LOW 200s" for 2 BR 2 BA "luxury" units that must have been $639,000-class at the height of the bubble.

While emailing someone that picture, I found ANOTHER photo on my computer like that -- I'd taken it LAST year about this time!

Still nothing moving...

Small 3 1/2 roomers in crummy 10-flat priced at $69,000 -- half what they were at the peak, and no takers on these either. The poor sign out front has been repainted a dozen times with new prices and different "agents" and the plywood is coming apart in the weather...

Hey guess what? Gas is a non-renewable resource - it SHOULD be expensive. And we've been paying that much in California for a while now. Instead of complaining about gas prices, try and curb how much you use. If you blame it on Obama, you don't understand anything about the global fossil fuel economy.

19 cents STATE TAX 1.1 cents State Environment tax 6 cents Cook County tax 5 cents Chicago City tax 10% State sales tax. (Therefore, 40 cents on a $4/gallon.) (Illinois is only one of 7 states that charges sales tax and charges the highest in the nation at 10%)

That's about 90 cents of tax on a $4.00 gallon of gas in Chicago. OUCH!

Hey guess what? Gas is a non-renewable resource - it SHOULD be expensive. And we've been paying that much in California for a while now. Instead of complaining about gas prices, try and curb how much you use. If you blame it on Obama, you don't understand anything about the global fossil fuel economy.

Gas is a non-renewable source. Yes that is true, so are brain cells.Leave it to a Californian to dictate gasoline consumption, no hypocrisy there. The only state that probably surpasses gasoline consumption per capita is probably Texas and they are entitled. So stop killing your brain cells with that wacky tobacky and furthermore if you are from California, what could you possibly know about what is going on in Chicago? P.F.O. (Please Fuck Off)

Chicago made the Phoenix news tonight about having the highest gas prices. They asked an expert why that would be. After a little mumble jumble he said it all comes down to the high taxes Chicago imposes on the gas.

Drilling for oil will not solve a damn thing. Oil prices have never followed the basic economic principle of supply and demand because if it did higher prices would reduce demand thereby increasing supply end result lower prices. This scenario has NEVER occurred. If the US did drill more OPEC would only cut production which would drive prices back up once again protecting their profit margin.

The problem is speculation. Wall Street creates an artificial demand by buying up oil futures thereby creating a demand that just isn't real. They make money hand over fist while we all suffer. They use the excuse of tensions in the Middle East or China using more oil etc.as the reason for skyrocketing prices.

They're creating a bubble that will eventually burst. Of course before that happens they will have gotten rid of their oil holdings long before the bubble pops, having sold them to middle class pension funds on the promise that the market is steadily moving up knowing it won't. They do this every single time!! Not only is this done with oil but they do it with every commodity. It's perfectly legally. This is the free market place at work.

No President has ever been able to lower gas prices. The only way to end this practice is thru government regulation which has to be voted on by congress. But that's a slippery slop

Anonymous said...Lets not forget that on 10 Jun 2008, our beloved leader told MSMBC that he wanted gas prices to go over $4.00 a gallon.Congratulations to the Democrats who made this happen!

Ps it was around $2.00 a gallon then

This is precisely what he wanted. Gas prices at $5-$6 per gallon helps the annointed mesiah push his green energy resources agenda at the expense of the working class american public ( which is only about 50% since half of the fucks in this country don't work or pay taxes. They are the Obummer supporters!!)

A half-dozen to 10 passengers jumped atop the pilot and pinned him to the floor, passengers said. Flight 191 landed at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport at 10:11 a.m., JetBlue said in a statement. The aircraft was carrying people bound from New York to Las Vegas, Nev., for a security convention, passengers said. The pilot went to a restroom, then emerged, “shouting, ‘Iraq, al-Qaida, terrorism, we’re all going down.’

It seemed like he went crazy,” said Gabriel Schonzeit, of New York City, who was seated in the third row and traveling to the security convention. JetBlue and Transportation Security Administration officials described the pilot as having a medical condition.

He was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital, officials said. He has not been identified. The crew kicked the pilot out of the cockpit, and he turned unruly, attempting to use the intercom system, which had been disabled, said Josh Redick, 41, of New York. The pilot later attempted to re-enter the cockpit, but his security code appeared to have been changed, Schonzeit said.

When the pilot began pounding on the cockpit door, a former prison security guard grabbed him by the neck and choked the captain until he collapsed, Schonzeit said. “We all knew in the front rows if he got back in the cockpit, we were going down,” Schonzeit said.

“The pilot was a very large man, bigger than me,” said Schonzeit, who stands 6 feet, 3 inches and weighs 250 pounds. A flight attendant was elbowed in the ribs during the struggle to keep the captain subdued, Schonzeit said. The passengers tried to bind the captain’s wrists behind his back with a zip tie, but he broke it, Schonzeit said. “I couldn’t have broken those,” Schonzeit said.

Passengers handed over their belts to bind the pilot’s arms, Schonzeit said. Another Captain, traveling off duty on Flight 191, entered the flight deck prior to landing at Amarillo, and took over the duties of the ill crewmember once on the ground,” JetBlue’s statement said. The Airbus A320 jet departed at 7:28 a.m. from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport Airport, JetBlue said.

Not to worry boys and girls. All those foot post in the violence zones may be moved shortly as we'll need to have armed guard foot posts at the gas stations.

We all know the corporations are more important than the people.

Corporations and NATO dignitaries

Think I'm joking? This just in....

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The great Easter get nowhere: RAC warns that petrol panic buying risks millions of drivers not being able to fill their tanks for holiday break

Woman suffers 40 per cent burns after using jerry cans to transfer petrol in her kitchen Motorists besiege garages and lengthy queues form around the country following advice by ministers to fill their tanks Prices soar and more than 100 forecourts run dry with others closed on the orders of police worried about 'fuel rage' The AA blames the shambles on the Government saying the 'unnecessary and self-inflicted' shortages are due to poor advice Retailers warn that large parts of the country could run out of fuel by the end of today if the panic continues But union bosses rule out strike action for the time being until talks resume after Easter

The ever increasing cost of oil and gasoline with corporations trying to offset that cost by cutting wages and benefits which in turn is causing labor union strikes.

We've seen it here with the UAW and we've seen it in the airlines where it's still ongoing.

To protect the CEO's paycheck and bonus the increase in fuel prices that are cutting into their profits is going to be taken out of peoples wages all the way down the food chain as the price increases trickle down thru the economy.